Radiohead I like…
I really just had to post this…
***
Radiohead album bets on fast release, open pricing
Michael Erman
Reuters
NEW
YORK–The release of popular rock group Radiohead’s new album next week
is the latest wake-up call for a music industry still struggling to
deal with the advent of digital music, experts say.
Normally
a Radiohead release generates huge buzz as fans and critics alike wait
to hear the latest musical direction of a band that has produced such
varied offerings as the radio hit "High and Dry" to the experimental
musings of "Kid A."
But the English band’s seventh
studio album "In Rainbows" is being closely watched for business
reasons; the album is being released digitally on Wednesday by the band
itself, just 10 days after the completion of recording and mixing.
And the price? Fans can pay what they want. The price listed at radiohead.com says simply: "IT’S UP TO YOU."
"This
has been a long-brewing issue with artists," said Ted Cohen of music
consulting firm TAG Strategic. "In a digital world where you can create
something relatively quickly and get it out there immediately, why
wait? Is there any overwhelming need to sit on something for three or
four months?"
Typically a band of Radiohead’s stature
would be signed to a major recording label, which would wait several
months before releasing the music to allow time for buzz to develop and
plan a tour and marketing campaign.
Tony Bongiovi, a
record producer who has been in the music business since the 1960s,
said the fast turnarounds could hurt a music business that he believes
is losing money as it becomes more singles-driven, rather than
album-driven, in the age of iTunes and Internet file-sharing.
Some bands wouldn’t work to complete an album if they could put out a good single right away, he said.
According
to Bongiovi, a singles-driven market would lead to less money for
musicians and producers, and, ultimately, to fewer artists getting a
shot at the big time.
"When you go into a record label now, its got to be such a sure thing. Otherwise, there’s no money for you," he said.
Radiohead
is releasing its latest recording alone after benefiting from label
support for their first six albums, the last out in 2003. But fast
releases might not be as worthwhile for newer bands.
"People
know who Radiohead are — there is a pent-up demand of people waiting
for the next thing," said Gartner Vice President Mike McGuire. "Very
few bands have that kind of loyal audience following."
Radiohead’s
quick release in some ways is evocative of the early days of rock ‘n
roll, when it was not uncommon to record a song in the morning, press
it into a 45 in the afternoon and have it on store shelves the next day.
Radiohead
is not alone in taking advantage of new technology, helping artists to
stay ahead of fast-changing musical trends and reducing the risk of
illegal downloading.
Stars, an indie Canadian rock
band known for lush pop songs, made their album, "In Our Bedroom After
the War," available for download on July 10, four days after completion.
The CD only became available in stores on Sept. 25.
The
band said the album would have inevitably leaked during the period
usually marked for promotion, and it hoped fans would choose to support
it by paying to download it.
It also said they believed that the widespread release would help build word-of-mouth about the release.
"We
believe that the line between the media and the public is now
completely gray," Stars said in a statement. "What differentiates a
commercial radio station from someone adding a song to their Last.fm
channel? Or their MySpace page?"
Brooklyn-based indie
rockers Bishop Allen said they have benefited from putting out their
music speedily. They wrote and recorded a four-song EP every month in
2006, making the record available for purchase or download the last day
of each month.
"The idea that you could make
something from what you’re thinking at the moment, and that fans can
immediately access those thoughts, makes it more like a dialogue," said
Justin Rice, who plays guitar, piano, and sings in the band.
"They were hearing what we were saying without a weird lag. It’s kind of beautiful," he said.
